Green Chile Pork Carnitas
Discover the secret to incredible dutch oven carnitas slow-simmered to perfection for a vibrant and hearty meal. Enjoy flavorful green chile pork carnitas in warm tortillas topped with fresh ingredients for a fulfilling and delicious meal.
Indulge in the vibrant flavors of these Green Chile Pork Carnitas, a mouthwatering Mexican dish that’s perfect for taco night or a hearty plated meal. Tender, juicy pork shoulder is slow-simmered in a Dutch oven with zesty Hatch green chiles, pineapple juice, and aromatic spices, creating melt-in-your-mouth carnitas. Serve them wrapped in warm flour or corn tortillas, topped with fresh pico de gallo, creamy avocado, and a sprinkle of feta cheese for a truly irresistible meal. Easy to make and packed with bold Tex-Mex flair, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite!
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The combination of juicy pork, zesty Hatch green chiles, and the subtle sweetness of pineapple juice creates a dish that’s bursting with bold flavors and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Easy to prepare and incredibly satisfying, this recipe is a keeper for any Mexican food lover.
Whether you wrap them in warm tortillas or serve them on a plate with fresh pico de gallo, avocado, and a sprinkle of feta, these carnitas are sure to please.
Green Chile Carnitas Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 4- 5 lbs Pork shoulder, or pork country style ribs
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup roasted Hatch Green Chiles, chopped
- ½ orange
- 1 ½ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ white onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon Mexican dry oregano
- 1 cup water
Equipment Needed:
- Sharp Knife
- Dutch Oven
- Garlic Peeler
🥣 Recipe Tips
- Choose the Right Cut of Pork: Opt for a well-marbled pork shoulder or pork country-style ribs, as the fat content ensures tender, juicy carnitas. Trim excess fat if desired, but keep some for flavor and moisture during the long simmer.
- Sear in Batches for Maximum Flavor: Avoid overcrowding the Dutch oven when searing the pork cubes. Searing in two batches allows each piece to develop a rich, golden-brown crust, which enhances the overall depth of flavor in the dish.
- Adjust Liquid as Needed: During the uncovered cooking phase, check the consistency of the carnitas. If the mixture looks too dry, add a splash of pineapple juice or water to keep the pork moist, ensuring it stays tender and absorbs the vibrant green chile and citrus flavors.
How to Make Dutch Oven Pork Carnitas:
Cut the pork into large cubes (1 ½ to 2 inches). Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat and add the oil. Add the pork to the Dutch oven and generously season with salt and pepper.
Sear the pork on all sides. If would be best to sear them in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pot.
Once they are seared, place all the pork carnitas back into the pot.
Roughly chop the onions, cut the onion into 4ths and peel the garlic cloves.
Add the onions, garlic cloves, and Mexican oregano.
Add the pineapple juice and milk, and add orange juice by squeezing the oranges then add the orange pieces into the dutch oven.
Bring the carnitas to a fast simmer, then turn down the heat to a slow simmer and add the chopped green chile. Cover and slow simmer for about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Uncover the carnitas and gently stir, add a bit more pineapple juice or water if they are too dry. Keep cooking the carnitas for another 30- 45 minutes uncovered. until the liquids start drying out.
Pour the carnitas into a 9 X 13 roasting pan. Preheat oven to broil and place pan into oven to brown the tops of the meat. This step is optional but I do like a little added browning.
Serve on a plate with a side of pico de gallo with feta cheese, avocado and a flour tortilla. After making these Green Chile Pork Carnitas, you’ll be savoring every tender, flavorful bite of this Tex-Mex delight. Enjoy the delicious rewards of your Dutch oven masterpiece!
Other Green Chile Recipes:
🥣 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4-5 pound Pork roast or pork country style ribs
- ¼ cup Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- ½ medium white onion
- 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup Hatch Green Chile chopped (or could use 505 green chile)
- 1 ½ cups Pineapple juice
- ¼ cup Milk
- 1 cup water
To Serve
- 16 Flour Tortillas could use corn tortillas if you prefer
- Pico de Gallo
- Avocado
- Feta Cheese
- Jalapeños optional
- Fresh Cilantro optional
Instructions
- Cut the pork into large cubes (1 ½ to 2 inches). Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat and add the oil. Add the pork to the Dutch oven and generously season with salt and pepper.
- Sear the pork on all sides. If would be best to sear them in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pot.
- Once they are all seared, place all the pork carnitas back into the pot.
- Roughly chop the onions, cut the onion into 4ths and peel the garlic cloves.
- Add the onions, garlic cloves, and Mexican oregano.
- Add the pineapple juice and milk, and add orange juice by squeezing the oranges then add the orange pieces into the dutch oven.
- Bring the carnitas to a fast simmer, then turn down the heat to a slow simmer and add the chopped green chile. Cover and slow simmer for about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
- Uncover the green chile pork carnitas and gently stir, add a bit more pineapple juice or water if they are too dry. Keep cooking the carnitas for another 30- 45 minutes uncovered. until the liquids start drying out.
- Pour the carnitas into a 9 X 13 roasting pan. Preheat oven to broil and place pan into oven to brown the tops of the meat. This step is optional but I do like a little added browning.
- Serve on a plate with a side of pico de gallo with feta cheese and avocado and a flour tortilla on the side. Or serve these carnitas wrapped in a warm flour or corn tortilla along with with pico de gallo and avocado.
Nutrition
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Your recipe is wonderful! WE loves us some pork!!! And I love anything Mexican. Thanks for sharing!
Dang these are good Evelyn!
I love Mexican food! This recipe is fabulous
My mouth is watering. Yum! I love green chiles and pork. My sister is the green chili queen in the family, but THIS is a far easier way of enjoying the chili/pork combination. I definitely love this recipe
It's a toss up for me if Mexican or Italian is my favorite ….. ah, who am I kidding – it's all my favorite 😉
This sounds so yummy and not to much fuss
THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL!!
Yum! Thanks for sharing
These were great!!
Love Mexican food and this was terrific!! Thanks for sharing
I'm a huge Mexican food fan, too, and carnitas and green chiles are always awesome. Thanks!
I love Carnitas. Oddly enough I have never made them.
Yum, looks delicious! Thanks so much for sharing.
Yummers!!
yum, that sounds good.
Hi Evelyn,
This is our kind of recipe, we will just love your Pork Carnitas with Green Sauce, just delicious! Hope you are having a great week and thank you so much for sharing
That looks DELICIOUS… do you like Mexican food because it's spicy?
This is fabulous! I find I cook Mexican more than anything else too. And this was easy and satisfying.
This sounds amazing. I really have to try this!
This is so good! I have been craving these for awhile and so glad I found this recipe.
YUMMY!
Great dish!
This looks great, I will be slipping this into the crock pot for dinner during our busy fair week.
I'm hungry now. : Blessings!
These were so good and super easy!!
Mexican food is the BEST! Pinning.
Yum! Those sound delicious. Thanks so much for sharing
My family loves Mexican food. And these were amazing.
You are too funny with your guilt salad.
I've always wanted to make carnitas and I certainly am all about green chiles.
We love Mexican food, of any kind! Gonna have to give it a try! Looks delish, and wish I had some in front of me right now!
Hi Evelyn, you can never cook too much Mexican for me. I love it! I much prefer green sauce to red.
Thanks so much for sharing. We love carnitas. This looks like a great recipe.
Debi
I love Mexican! Those look so good.
That looks great and easy! Thanks
This looks delicious. I am hosting a Giveaway to win a 50 dollar gift card to the store HomeGoods. It would be great if you stopped by and entered. Thanks Anu
Was so yummy! My husband loved this.